Looking to get a larger boat lift for a Malibu 247. The dry weight is 4000lb, so we are probably looking for a 5500 or 6000 pounds lift. Ballasts would always be drained before going on the lift, so we don't think anything larger is necessary. We would want a canopy as well as a solar-powered motor. We currently have a 4000lb ShoreStation for our boat, but it will not be adequate for the 247. Does anyone have any opinions on the various brands? Ex. shorestation, shoremaster, craftlander, RGC, lakeside, Floe, Hewitt.......

We are leaning towards lakeside because they seem to cost less, but at the same time are getting good reviews. Any other opinions on any of the other brands? Leaning away from shorestation, rgc, floe and hewitt because they seem to cost noticeably more.

Check into AirDocks. We have three - one for our 24 foot wakeboat (Tige 24Ve) and two for our jetskis. Compared to the old mechanical style lifts, they are less expensive to purchase, easier to maintain, automatically move up and down or in and out with changing water levels (if that's an issue on your lake), etc. They're easier on your hull than the old style lifts too - since they distribute the force across the entire hull the pressure is about 1 PSI. Boat goes up or down in under five minutes and does so automatically while we're getting other things ready. We've had our boat AirDock for ~8 years now, through two different boats, and would never buy anything else.